WASHINGTON TWP. — One of the first things resident Rich Nardiello said when he regained speech after suffering a stroke was simple: The benefit must go on.

He was planning to attempt the Guinness World Record for the most blind free-throw attempts in five minutes to raise money for Isabella’s Eyes on Saturday night.

Nardiello is an avid fundraiser for the organization and has put on creative, original fundraisers in honor of Isabella Nutt, the 7-year-old girl for whom the organization was named. Isabella suffers from Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, a genetic mutation that has left her blind since birth. The organization supports Isabella and research into her condition.

During a practice for his record-breaking attempt on Jan. 28 however, Nardiello suffered a stroke and was rushed to the hospital. When he woke up, he told his son that the show must go on. Mike Nardiello, 24, will now stand in his father’s place on Saturday night at the Sports & More athletic facility on Hurffville Road.

“The first thing he told me, was ‘You’re doing the benefit now, so start practicing,’ I said ‘Alright, no problem,’” Mike said.

Nardiello has been close with the Nutt family and a champion of their cause for years, after he almost lost his own sight to a degenerative eye disease.

“The cause is close to his heart because he had a cornea transplant a few years back, and the donor was a little girl. He heard about our cause and has been doing stuff and working closely with us ever since,” Isabella’s father, Greg Nutt said.

The benefit is just one of the many off-the-wall fundraisers Nardiello has come up with over the years in order to raise money for Isabella’s Eyes.

“He always tries to do something really different and creative and bring as many people in as possible. Every year it’s something a little bit different,” Mike said.

His previous benefits have included a polar bear plunge in Seaside Heights while dressed as Cupid and racing a NASCAR race car in Daytona, Fla., to raise donations.

Saturday night’s event will also be much more than Mike’s blindfolded, free-throw record attempt. He said that there will be a DJ, games, a jungle gym for kids, a silent auction and more. The highlight for Mike, however, will be when Isabella herself—a singer with perfect pitch—will entertain the crowd with her rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,”

“That was one of the conditions when I agreed to it,” Mike said. “The only way we’ll do it is if she sings.”

The benefit will run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday night at the Sports & More complex located at 1855 Hurffville Road. Admission is $5 for adults and children.